Well everybody pretty much knows that Gatlinburg is our spot. Scotty & his fam vacationed there when he was a kid and so did mine. I've always wondered if we were ever there at the same time!! That would be neat!! Anyways....my family hasn't been in years and so we caught the Gatlinburg fever and headed out the week before Christmas. It was gorgeous and if you've never been you should go!!!! There's something to do at all times of the year and it's very family oriented!! You'll like it even if the mountains aren't your thing!! And if you're obsessed with all things Christmas like me, then the holidays would be a perfect time for you to go!! Eversince we've gotten back, Tanner keeps saying he's ready to go see the "Smotey" (Smokey) Mountains with Granna & Pa!!! So here's our very own Christmas in the Smokies!!!
Here's the whole gang: Scotty, Tanner, me, Amanda (my sis - Tanner calls her Da), my mom (Granna), my dad (Pa - yes, like Little House on the Prairie) & Granny (the trip was her idea!!)
It was very cold so Tanner was always asking if he could get in my jacket with me!! He loves to cuddle!!
Sometimes when it's so cold that you're chilled to the bone, the only thing to do is have hot cocoa for each hand!!
It was very cold so Tanner was always asking if he could get in my jacket with me!! He loves to cuddle!!
Sometimes when it's so cold that you're chilled to the bone, the only thing to do is have hot cocoa for each hand!!
Me & Sister
We left at like 3 am (bc that's what we used to do when I was little) and we stopped to eat breakfast at the Cracker Barrel right outside of B'ham (where T wouldn't quit screaming out "Claudaine. Emmawaine!!!"....family inside joke). Then we made a pit stop at Rock City!!! Here's Tanner & Pa at Rock City!!
Dad & Scotty - when these two get together....it's nothin' but laughs to say the least!!
You're not really supposed to climb the rocks, but we just HAD to!!!
Tanner really enjoyed walking through Rock City with Pa!!!
Scotty, Dad, & Sister on the swinging bridge. I wouldn't let Tanner go across this so me and him took the Wuss's Route!!
Taking a break with Granna & Granny!!
Itchy nose!!!
Dad & Granny (his mom)
Tanner had to have a picture with Granna & Pa in the "sway" (sleigh)!!
And did NOT wanna leave!!
Me & Granny with our hot chocolate!! I just love her!!
Dad getting ready to go through Fat Man's Squeeze. He's got a picture of his dad in this exact spot!! How cool is that?!?!
Here we go!!
Suck in!!!
We broke the rules again!!
Me & Sister have a picture exactly like this when we were little in this spot!!
Eating at The Old Mill!! Yummy!!
Daddy took Tanner to see the birds!! They're used to all the tourists so you can get really close!!
Sitting in Santa's lap at The Apple Barn!!
Me & The Parentals....a Vallie Sandwich!!
Tanner loved the snowmen at Flapjack's!!
Flapjack's is our breakfast spot and I always get the Caribbean Pancakes!! Soooo fattening, but sooooooooo good!!!! Totally worth the multiple pounds you will gain!!!
Had to get a pic with the bear in the gift shop!! He also got a "waccoon" (raccoon) hat from here that you will see in later pictures!!
Cades Cove.....How could you not love this?
Mom & Dad
We used to come here every year as kids and it's still just as fun today as it was back then!!
One of the houses from the first settlers!! Love history!! Sorry the pic is cattywompus...it was on a rock!!
Tanner loves for us to each hold one of his hands and swing him so we did.....only he flew!!! If you look closely at this picture you can see that Tanner's hand has slipped out of Scotty's and the force of the swing is about to tear him out of mine!!! My sister took it at just the right time!! T was a little scuffed up, but he took it like a man!!
But he learned a lesson and decided it was safer to walk with Pa!!
Because you're just driving through a park at a snail's pace and not flying down a public road, we let Tanner get out of his carseat and he went back and forth from sitting between me and Scotty on the console, helping Scotty drive, and sitting back here in this big boy seat!!!
Love this little church!!
There was a piano inside and Mom & Tanner started playing!!
We have so many memories on this riverbank!!! In the summer you can get in and wade in the water!! It's cold even then so you couldn't pay me to even stick my big toe in there in the winter!!
Granny stayed cold so Scotty hooked her up with some ear muffs!! How sweet is he to take care of her like that?!?!
Tanner & Da walking through the woods!!
Yeh, Dad crossed all the way over!!
Daddy's giving Tanner rocks to throw into the river!!! Tanner could do this all day!!
Dangling over the river in a tree!! What daredevils!!
Every mountain man should carry a walking stick!!
That night we took a trolley ride to see all the Christmas lights!!
When we got back, Tanner hung out in the cabin with Granna, Pa & Granny while me, Scotty & Amanda got in the hot tub on our deck. I'm the genious that forgot a swimsuit so, yes, I'm wearing Scotty's clothes!!
Me & Sister with our matching Christmas pj's!!!
Tanner in the Alpine Slide with his raccoon hat!!!!
Tanner & "Gwanna"
If there's hot sauce around my husband is gonna try it. My sister is pretty much the same way. I don't know what's wrong with them!!!!! We love to go to All Sauced Up when we come to Gatlinburg, but Scotty found a new store called Pepper Palace. His new fave!!! (I'm staying loyal to All Sauced Up in case you were wondering!!) They sampled lots of stuff and here they are about to sample the hottest sauce in the world. They clearly have issues!!!! So here's the 2 crazies addin' a little spice to their life!!!!
Are you rethinking this whole situation, Sister?
They took the challenge and had their picture added to the Hall of Flame!!
We decided to take a break from all our walking to sit in front of this candy store to watch them make taffy!!
Mom, Dad & Granny headed back to the cabin (but stopped for a steak dinner first) and all the youngin's stayed on the strip. We ate at this Italian restaurant and were so glad to be right beside the fire!! Tanner was still asleep in the stroller.
I'm not kidding you....every time we go on vacation at least one of us is sick and this time was no different. Poor Tanner had been running fever on and off. Bless his little heart. He just didn't feel good =(
But after he woke up and ate a few bites, Daddy knew exactly what would make him feel better.....a trip to the Candy Store!!!! He got to pick out whatever he wanted!!!
I'd say he perked up a little!!!
Heading back to the car!! We were exhausted!!
We headed back home the next day. We're always sad for a vacation to come to and end, but this was kinda different because when we got back there was only 3 days til Christmas!!!! We had lots to do!!! And I'm not sure how I didn't get a picture of this, but Figgy - our elf - somehow knew we had taken a trip to Gatlinburg and he flew to our cabin every morning!!! Tanner was amazed!! Here's my sweet boy playing on the landing while we were packing up!!
While Daddy loaded up the car me & Tanner took a walk around our cabin to gather up mountain rocks as souveniers.
Then we walked over to the pond across from our cabin to throw a few in!!
Bye, Cabin!!! Sniff, Sniff!!!
We had such a fun time with my family and made some really great memories. Tanner still talks about "Ga-tin-bird" all the time and is ready to go back!! We got back and only had 3 days to finish shopping (yeh...I'll do better next year), wrap presents, and get our house ready before we hosted Christmas!!! It was a whirlwind, but aren't the holidays always like that?
